Door latch



7 Api. 3, 1923. 1,450,188

lE. T. SHERMAN u pooR LATCH l Filed Julygv, 1920 4 /8 7 S L@ /f 9 6 E. Tri/renna Er H/J ATrU//VEKI Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

UNITED STATES PATENT QGFFECE. EDWARD T. SHERMAN, E MrNNEAPoLIs, MINNESOTA.

DooE LATCH.

Application led July 247, 1920. i Serial No. 399,366;

To aZZwwm/t may concern.' Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line Bc it known that I, EDWARD T. SHERMAN, 3-3 of Fig. 1; p a citizen of the United States, yresiding at f Fig. 4 is a vertical section on the line 4-4 v5 Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and of Fig. 1; and y 5 State of Minnesota, have invented certain Fig. 5 is a transverse section on the line new and useful Improvements in Door 5 5 of Fig. 4. Lato-hes; and I do hereby declare the fol- The numeral 4 indicates a door frame set lowing to be a full, clear, and exact descripin a wall v5. l A tion of the invention, such as will enable The numeral Gindicates a. door hung from l0 others skilled in the art to which it apperthe frame 4, by hinges 7 and provided with tains to make and use the same. an ordinary pull or head piece 8 on its inner My invention has for its object to provide side.

a simple and improved door latch, the term The latch bar 9 is pivoted to the bosslO, '65 door latch being, herein, in a broad sense to by means of an oblique screw or rivet l1, and

include a latch for securing any kind of its free end projects beyond the free edge of swinging closure, such as, a gate for examthe door for engagement for a lock shoulder ple, in position'for closing a passage way or 12 of a latch plate 13 and which plate, by an opening. means of screws or the like, is rigidly fas- 70 Generally stated, the invention consists of tened to the door casing 4. f l

the novel devices and combinations of de- By reference to Fig. 5, it will be noted vices hereinafter described and defined in that for the reception of the pivot-end of the the claims. latch bar 9, the `boss 10k is provided with a In door latches as now generally conhorizontal diametrical passage, so that the 75 structed, the latch bar moves" in a vertical latch bar may be applied projecting from plane or in a plane parallel to the door and either toward the right or toward the left.

perpendicular to the planes in which the This permits the latch to be applied to a door swings. Moreover, in such door door that is hinged to either edve without latches, the latch bar is raised by camming requiring the bosses to be made in right or 8o action of an inclined surface on a fixed latch left designs.

plate, so that there is very considerable lat- The latch bar 9 worksthrough a slot 14 eral thrust on the latch bar, which creates a formed in a guide plate 15, which by means friction that sometimes makes it impossible of screws or the like, is rigidly secured vto the Y and always diiiicult to close the door, withfree edge of the door. Here itis highly m- 85 out lifting the latch bar, by manipulation of portant to note that the latch-bar-guide-slot the latch lever. 14 is oblique to the face of the door. More I overcome the above diificulty by arrangdeiinitely stated, the vsaid slot 14 extends at ing the latch bar to move in a plane that is an acute angle to the plane of the door and oblique to the door and hence moves in the at an obtuse angle to the horizontal plane 90 plane that is at a much less angle to the in which the door swings, and said latch bar horizontal line of lateral thrust, than in the 9 moves pivotally in said oblique plane in older form of latch. which the guide slot 14 is extended.

This fea-ture and others will be more fully By vreference particularly to Fig. 3, it will disclosed in connection with the description be seen that the latch plate 13, outward of 95 of the accompanying drawings, wherein like its notch 12, has an inclined cam surface 16,

characters indicate like parts throughout the that will cam-upward the free end of a latch several views. A bark when the door is swung to a closed posi- Referring to the drawings: tion. By reference to the same view, it will Fig. 1 is a front elevation showing the be noted that the edge of the lock shoulder 100 latch applied to the door, the door being in is not only oblique to the plane 7 of the door,

a closed position; but is at a slightly greater angle thereto than Fig. 2 is a View corresponding to Fig. 1, the slot 14; and this is importantbecause but showing the door in an open position; when the latch bar engages the shoulder 12 and is dropped dovvn into said notch, the camming action between the same and said oblique shoulder will bring the door to a' more closely or tightly closed position.

Again, by reference to Fig. 3, it Will be noted that the latch gate 13, Which is countersunk into the casing, is provided at its lower outer portion, with a dependentstop lug or portion 17 that engages the outer face of the door frame and assists in positioning the latch plate when it is first applied, and in holding in proper positionafter it is applied. For the same reason, the guide plate 15 (see Fig. 2) is provided respectively, with upper and lower stop lugs or shoulders 18 and 19 that engage the outer face of the door 6. The numeral 20 indicates a latch lever that is pivoted to the door, extends through the door and is arranged to lift the latch bar 9 substantially in the customary Way.

Vith the above described latch, it is evident that when the door is swung closed and the free end of the latch bar is engaged with the cam surface or edge 16 on the latch plate 13, said latch bar will be raised b y a force that is very nearly in straight line with the guide slot 14 and hence does not produce much lateral pressure on the latch bar in such lifting action and thus reduces to a minimum the friction between the latch bar and its guide plate.

This improved latch has been put into actual use and not only found eilicientbut superior to the older form of latch. The latch as demonstrated in practice, will automatically lock itself under very slight force applied to the door in a direction tending to close the door. Gtherwise stated, the latch does not perceptibly interfere With the natural closing movement of the door. Moreover the Wear on this latch is much less than the Wear on the ordinary latcli,hithe1to used.

`Vhat I claim is:

1. The combination with a door frame and a door hinged thereto, of a latch bar pivote-fl to the door and mounted to move in a plane that is oblique to the plane of the door, and a latch plate on the door frame having a. loclr shoulder with which said latch bar is engageable, the said lock shoulder being oblique and at a greater angle to the plane of the door than is the plane in Which the latch bar moves, and a means of elevating and dropping the said latch bar into engagement With said shoulder under closing movement of the door.

2. The combination With a door frame and door hinged thereto, of a latch bar guiding plate secured to the free edgel of the door and having a guide slot that is oblique to the plane of the door, a latch bar pivoted to the door and movable in the oblique slot of said guide plate, and a latch plate secured to the door frame and provided with a lock shoulder with which the free end of the latch bar is engageable, the said lock shoul* der being oblique and at a greater angle to the plane of the door than is the plane in which the latch bar moves, and said latch bar having a cam surface for camming said latch bar into engagement with said shoulder under closing movement of the door.

3. The combination with a door frame and a door hinged thereto, of a latch bar guiding` plate secured to the free edge of the door, a latch bar pivoted to the door and movable in an oblique slot of said guide plate, a. latch plate secured to the door frame and provided with an oblique lock shoulder with which the free end of the latch bar is engageable, an inclined camming edge on the latch plate approximately at right angles to the plane of the latch bar, operative to elevate the free end of the latch bar under closing movement of the door with a force approximately in a straight line With the guide slot.

4. The combination With a door frame and a door hinged thereto, of a latch carrying member secured to the door, a latch pivoted to said member by a pivot extending downwardly at an angle to the plane of the door and guided to move in a plane at an angle to the door, a latch plate secured to the door frame and' having a notch therein, the forward edge of which is inclined to the door at a slightly greater angle than the latch.

rlChe structure set forth in claim el, said latch carrying member having an aperture extending entirely therethrough at an angle to the plane of the door so that said latch can be secured thereto by said pivot and extend at either side thereof.

In testimony whereof l affix my signature.

EUWARD T. Sli-llllili/IA'N. 

